Benefit Hosted By Illinois ASID Chapter Helps To Support Industry Lobbying Effort

Furniture World Magazine

The American Society of Interior Designers - Illinois Chapter (ASID-IL) and the International Interior Design Association - Illinois Chapter (IIDA-IL) today jointly announce that the fourth annual Holiday Rendezvous held Monday, Dec. 11, 2006, raised more than $7,000 for the Illinois Interior Design Coalition (IIDC), a not-for-profit legislative political action committee whose membership activities are supported solely by individual and corporate contributions. More than 250 members of the local interior design community attended the sold-out event and contributed to the event's fundraising efforts. The purpose of the Holiday Rendezvous is to bring together Illinois' two major interior design associations in the common interest of protecting a designer's right to practice by raising funds to support the legislative efforts of the IIDC, according to Joyal E. Watkins, Jr., 2006-07 ASID-IL chapter president. "We're so pleased that members of both associations and our industry friends came to celebrate and benefit a very worthy organization that will use the funds wisely. Though it's winter in Chicago, the party's theme lived up to its billing and provided holiday warmth and fun for all," said Watkins. Held at Carnivale Restaurant and Lounge in Chicago's West Loop, this year's theme was "Heat Up Your Holidays." The evening included two professional Latin dance instructors who showed designers how to salsa, in addition to a stilt walker. The event also featured a fabulous Silent Auction, delicious appetizers from Carnivale and an open bar including holiday Mojitos. "Our volunteers, sponsors and guests deserve all the credit for devoting their time and effort, and for donating product and services in order to make the Holiday Rendezvous a success," added Watkins. "It was wonderful to see everyone spread holiday cheer at the event and come together for a great evening." SPONSORS The event could not have been made possible without the generous donations from the following sponsors: Coverings: Ultimate Stone & Tile Experience; OEC Business Interiors/Steelcase; Shaw, Inc.; Knoll Chicago; Bradford; Mohawk Industries; Corporate Concepts; Peebles & Associates; ProSource; Jayson Home & Garden; Barron Custom Furniture; Stone Design; Constantine Commercial; Desks, Inc.; Henricksen; Ultron/Solutia; Mannington Commercial; Ruder Group; and Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters. Bus trip sponsors Resource One, DIRTT, Fixtures Furniture, Global and Versteel provided a chartered bus to and from the party to transport downstate Illinois designers in Springfield and Bloomington who might not have been able to attend otherwise. SILENT AUCTION More than 30 Silent Auction items were also provided to help raise funds for the IIDC. A sample of the prizes included an 8x10 area rug donated by Atlas Carpet Mills, four Chicago Cubs tickets donated by ECI, a digital camera and printer donated by OM Workspace, and a Soho End Table donated by Duralee. For more information about the ASID-IL Chapter, please visit www.asidillinois.com or call the ASID Illinois Chapter headquarters at 312-467-5080. For more information about the IIDA-IL Chapter, please visit www.iida-ilchap.org or call 815-464-0785. For more information about the IIDC, please visit www.iidcpac.org. ABOUT ASID The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is the oldest and largest professional organization for interior designs. It is a community of people-designers, industry representatives, educators and students committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge-sharing, advocacy, community-building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people's lives. Its more than 36,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 49 chapters throughout the United States and Canada. ASID interior designers specialize in a wide range of areas. In the commercial sector, its members provide design and consulting services to the office, health care, institutional, hospitality and retail environments. In the residential field, its members provide services ranging from space planning to home office design to customizing a home to meet specific client needs. The American Society of Interior Designers - Illinois Chapter (ASID-IL) is a non-profit professional association representing the interests of more than 1,600 Illinois interior designers, students and design industry partner members. Its vision is to be the voice of design in Illinois and to provide information through quality, timely communications, to educate its members and clients, and to expand and to support market expansion. The Chapter is lead by a volunteer board that includes the Chapter's president, president-elect, 5 directors and a student representative. ABOUT IIDA The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association of more than 10,000 members in 8 specialty forums, 9 regions, and more than 30 Chapters around the world committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in interior design and advancing interior design through knowledge. Professional members of IIDA must pass rigorous acceptance standards: they require a combination of accredited design education and/or full-time work experience and passage of a two-day accreditation examination given by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). IIDA Illinois Chapter is one of the largest and most active regional chapters in an organization of 31 Chapters. It has more than 600 members consisting of design professionals, associates, students and industry members. There are two City Centers outside of the Chicago City Center: the Northern Illinois City Center and the Central Illinois City Center. The IIDA Illinois Chapter is a regional resource for knowledge sharing, advocacy of interior designers' right-to-practice, professional education, and expansion of interior design markets ABOUT IIDC The Illinois Interior Design Coalition is a not-for-profit legislative political action committee whose membership activities are supported solely by individual and corporate contributions. IIDC is open to all interior designers and those in related fields. It is an organization of concerned professionals who volunteer time, money and effort to protect the right to practice interior design in the state of Illinois. All membership dues and contributions are applied directly to legislative efforts, lobbyists, legal fees, campaign contributions and mailings. The focus of IIDC since the passage of the Title Act has been to protect the Title Act against assaults by other interest groups; to keep the interior design community informed of the legislative agenda, which affects their right to practice; organize appropriate responses to such actions; and to educate interior designers about the necessity of a continued political presence in Springfield. In addition, IIDC's current thrust is to stress the importance to the design community of being a registered interior designer in the state of Illinois.